Let's stop apologizing for having an easy schedule

[John from Riverside]

I am quite tired of defending the bills for beating teams they should be beating win in the past we would’ve found ways to lose to those teams

[row_33]

25 minutes ago, longtimebillsfan said:

Since 2000, it seems like the Bills have been given one of the most difficult schedules year after.  Our schedule was frequently more difficult than the Patriot's schedule, even after they had won a Super Bowl.  These difficult schedules help in the Bills being mired in mediocre 7-9 seasons.

 

For a nice change, we have been blessed with a much softer schedule than any I can remember. (my fandom goes back to the 60's) 

 

So we are taking advantage of this easier schedule and winning the games we should.  I agree that we are not dominating lesser competition, but a win is a win.  I believe part of the inability of the Bills to put teams away early are the restrictions that the coaching staff has put on Josh Allen.  Whether you agree with that approach or not, bringing this young quarterback along slowly is the direction the brain trust has chosen to follow.

 

So we are possibly looking at a 10-6 record or better this year.  Why keep apologizing about our record?  We are way over due for getting a break with our schedule. Lets kick back and enjoy the ride.

 

Your thoughts?

 

no possible way a schedule with 4 against the Jets and Fish could ever come close to being most difficult

 

 

[Ramza86]

No need to apologize for the schedule.

 

The apology should come from playin to our competitions level.

 

But honestly...ive been on record saying there were zero expectations from me from this team this year.

 

Im pleasantly surprised....but now the agenda is getting this offense to become more consistent and successful. There have been lots of times where im scratching or shaking my head at this offense. 

 

I think Daboll has a problem adjusting as the game flows. Every game it looks like we know whats going to work or whats working...but we dont exploit it.

[Buffalo Boy]

7 minutes ago, Logic said:

Agreed.

Furthermore, when there are 10 or 11 teams on your schedule that everyone agrees you "should" win, well...what does it say about your team that everyone thinks you "should" win those games? It says that everyone recognizes that you are superior to those teams. 

Put another way: There have been several seasons in the past 20 years where the Bills faced bad opponents that they "should" beat, and they couldn't beat them! We have seen the Bills lose "should win" games time and time again over the past two decades. Even if all the 2019 Bills have done, accomplishment wise, is learn to win all the games they "should" win, thats something! That's enough to get you to the playoffs some year, as we are potentially seeing now. And it's no sure thing that you're going to be able to take advantage of an easy schedule. You know who ELSE gets to face most of the same opponents the Bills are facing? The Jets. The Dolphins. What are THEIR records? You have to be good enough to be considered superior to the bottom feeders to begin with, and you have to be good enough to take advantage of the easy schedule by winning the games you should win. So far, the Bills HAVE been, and that represents a big change from the past 20 years. Next up: Finding ways to win a few games they're not "supposed to" win.

    Before this season, the last time I Billieved we would pick up 3 rd and longs was Bledsoe’s first year with us.

    We are not a great team yet. OK. Fine. But we don’t suck either and there are more than a few positives that bode well for the future.

    Watching a large chunk of this board continually piss and most about this team is tiresome.

     Let everyone else underestimate us but don’t partake in it ourselves by offering them excuses.

     The Pats and 49 ers have played an easy schedule. Do you think they are complaining. 
     The point is to get to the Playoffs and then “ Any given Sunday” takes on a whole new meaning.

     I for one am enjoying the heck out of this season like no other for the first time in Decades.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

25 minutes ago, longtimebillsfan said:

Since 2000, it seems like the Bills have been given one of the most difficult schedules year after.  Our schedule was frequently more difficult than the Patriot's schedule, even after they had won a Super Bowl.  These difficult schedules help in the Bills being mired in mediocre 7-9 seasons.

 

For a nice change, we have been blessed with a much softer schedule than any I can remember. (my fandom goes back to the 60's) 

 

So we are taking advantage of this easier schedule and winning the games we should.  I agree that we are not dominating lesser competition, but a win is a win.  I believe part of the inability of the Bills to put teams away early are the restrictions that the coaching staff has put on Josh Allen.  Whether you agree with that approach or not, bringing this young quarterback along slowly is the direction the brain trust has chosen to follow.

 

So we are possibly looking at a 10-6 record or better this year.  Why keep apologizing about our record?  We are way over due for getting a break with our schedule. Lets kick back and enjoy the ride.

 

Your thoughts?

 

One of the biggest contributors toward the bills schedule difficulty is playing the GOATs twice every year 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

15 minutes ago, machine gun kelly said:

 

Hapless, I almost always agree with you, and always at least respect you’re opinion.  I think the Browns is more f a question mark, than a concern.  

 

I dont expect us to be 8-2 in two weeks, but I could see it.  After seeing a little bit of the Ravens last night, and the Cowboys overall, we do have the tougher part of the schedule coming.  We’ll know more after those two games.

 

Machine gun, I wasn't stating my opinion but my understanding of why, factually, the Bills are showing up as underdogs to the Browns.

 

And my concern is entirely based on my admitted BBFS, which is why I am still a "Hapless Fan"

[row_33]

if one is so confident, those 2.5 points handed to the Bills makes it a total no-brainer to bet large on them

 

[Wayne Arnold]

13 minutes ago, wagon127 said:

Also, next year we play the NFC and AFC west The NFC West is currently the best division in football. So we could be in for one of the most difficult schedules next year. Just enjoy the ride. This team is learning how to win, which will help them years to come!

 

Which is why they need to win 11-12 games this season.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

24 minutes ago, Wayne Arnold said:

That’s all well and good but I’m not accepting worse than a 10-6 record.

 

I'll make sure to get that off in a memo to coach mcdermott ASAP.

 

[Wayne Arnold]

Just now, Joe in Winslow said:

 

I'll make sure to get that off in a memo to coach mcdermott ASAP.

 

 

In other words, any win total less than 10 this season and McDermott should be squarely on the hot seat going into 2020.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Just now, Wayne Arnold said:

 

In other words, any win total less than 10 this season and McDermott should be squarely on the hot seat going into 2020.

 

I'll include that in the memo.

 

 

[longtimebillsfan]

38 minutes ago, H2o said:

LOL

[ngbills]

38 minutes ago, longtimebillsfan said:

Since 2000, it seems like the Bills have been given one of the most difficult schedules year after.  Our schedule was frequently more difficult than the Patriot's schedule, even after they had won a Super Bowl.  These difficult schedules help in the Bills being mired in mediocre 7-9 seasons.

 

For a nice change, we have been blessed with a much softer schedule than any I can remember. (my fandom goes back to the 60's) 

 

So we are taking advantage of this easier schedule and winning the games we should.  I agree that we are not dominating lesser competition, but a win is a win.  I believe part of the inability of the Bills to put teams away early are the restrictions that the coaching staff has put on Josh Allen.  Whether you agree with that approach or not, bringing this young quarterback along slowly is the direction the brain trust has chosen to follow.

 

So we are possibly looking at a 10-6 record or better this year.  Why keep apologizing about our record?  We are way over due for getting a break with our schedule. Lets kick back and enjoy the ride.

 

Your thoughts?

It is about honestly assessing your team. You dont have to do that...nothing wrong with saying we are 6-2 and thats all that matters. 

 

For me, I prefer to dig deeper and analyze. It would be no different if we were 2-6 but playing well and barely losing to really good teams. I would say we are a better than our record. I would feel better about the next year and going forward. This year at 6-2 there are many things to to like but also many concerns. It does not feel like 6-2 should feel like because our 6 have come against some really bad teams. 

 

Put another way if our schedule had flopped and we played: NE, PHI, MIA to start the year and those games when exactly as they did we are 1-2. The same team that was 3-0. If you add on the NE, DAL and BAL games and assume we lose those falling to now 1-5. Are we really that bad?

 

Point is no reason to pretend the schedule does not influence your record. It does in either direction. The games against good teams are generally a better indicator of how good your team is, how good it will do in the playoffs etc. The Bills could go 11-5 this year and have not beat a single playoff team. That is 11-0 vs non playoff teams. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Speaking facts is different than apologizing.  It's just a fact that on paper the schedule looked easy and in reality it has turned out the opponents are even worse than predicted.

There is no way the Bills schedule was more difficult than the Patriots.  They were playing a first place schedule every year and the rest of the opponents are the same. The only way you can say their schedule was easier is because we played them and for the most part we were terrible.  

None of that matters come playoff time.  It is only relevant now in trying to determine how good the Bills team actually is.  

I would argue the Patriots are far worse than their record.  Evidence being we played them very tight and we aren't that great and Baltimore just destroyed them.  After the bye, the Patriots have four games that they could easily lose - Eagles, Cowboys, Chiefs, and Texans.  

The Bills have a real shot at the division title.  

[longtimebillsfan]

36 minutes ago, Circlethewagon8404 said:

Then give him the credit for saying this

He gets the credit.  I never saw his quote.  I bow to Mr. Hyde.

[billsfan1959]

40 minutes ago, Wayne Arnold said:

That’s all well and good but I’m not accepting worse than a 10-6 record.

Or what?

[longtimebillsfan]

37 minutes ago, Logic said:

Agreed.

Furthermore, when there are 10 or 11 teams on your schedule that everyone agrees you "should" win, well...what does it say about your team that everyone thinks you "should" win those games? It says that everyone recognizes that you are superior to those teams. 

Put another way: There have been several seasons in the past 20 years where the Bills faced bad opponents that they "should" beat, and they couldn't beat them! We have seen the Bills lose "should win" games time and time again over the past two decades. Even if all the 2019 Bills have done, accomplishment wise, is learn to win all the games they "should" win, thats something! That's enough to get you to the playoffs some year, as we are potentially seeing now. And it's no sure thing that you're going to be able to take advantage of an easy schedule. You know who ELSE gets to face most of the same opponents the Bills are facing? The Jets. The Dolphins. What are THEIR records? You have to be good enough to be considered superior to the bottom feeders to begin with, and you have to be good enough to take advantage of the easy schedule by winning the games you should win. So far, the Bills HAVE been, and that represents a big change from the past 20 years. Next up: Finding ways to win a few games they're not "supposed to" win.

Very well put.  Thank you.

34 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

A few thoughts related to this post:

 

1.  As the OP mentioned, for many years, the Bills had one of the most difficult schedules in the league.  We've had some decent, competitive teams that were a game or two out of the playoff hunt due (in part) to the difficulty of our schedule.  Teams in weaker division like the AFC South had a better opportunity to make the playoffs.

 

2.  The Jests and Dolphins are playing essentially the same schedule.  They are each 1-6.  The Pats are playing essentially the same schedule, and other than the close game in which they beat us, we have the same record.

 

3.  We have a young, developing QB who came from a smaller college program and a lot of new players integrated into the system.

 

It would be great if we could be more dominant and/or play more consistently, but we have still won 6 out of 8 NFL games.  No need to complain or apologize.  Let's hope we can continue to improve and can step up and win one against one of the teams with better records.  Even if we don't, and we continue to beat "who we are supposed to beat," we will still likely be 10-6 and get a wild card berth.  Bills fans should be allowed to enjoy the team's success!

I agree with everything you posted.  I believe that as the season progresses, the offense will continue to develop and hopefully, the coaching staff will ask Allen to do more than they are right now.

[ngbills]

2 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

Speaking facts is different than apologizing.  It's just a fact that on paper the schedule looked easy and in reality it has turned out the opponents are even worse than predicted.

There is no way the Bills schedule was more difficult than the Patriots.  They were playing a first place schedule every year and the rest of the opponents are the same. The only way you can say their schedule was easier is because we played them and for the most part we were terrible.  

None of that matters come playoff time.  It is only relevant now in trying to determine how good the Bills team actually is.  

I would argue the Patriots are far worse than their record.  Evidence being we played them very tight and we aren't that great and Baltimore just destroyed them.  After the bye, the Patriots have four games that they could easily lose - Eagles, Cowboys, Chiefs, and Texans.  

The Bills have a real shot at the division title.  

If this offense can get from below average to even average we do have a chance. Pats have - @PHI, DAL, @HOU, KC. This is the stretch to watch. They lose a couple of those and we play them at 11-3. If we win the easy ones and can we go 5-1 vs CLE, MIA, DEN, DAL, BAL, PIT?

[longtimebillsfan]

7 minutes ago, ngbills said:

It is about honestly assessing your team. You dont have to do that...nothing wrong with saying we are 6-2 and thats all that matters. 

 

For me, I prefer to dig deeper and analyze. It would be no different if we were 2-6 but playing well and barely losing to really good teams. I would say we are a better than our record. I would feel better about the next year and going forward. This year at 6-2 there are many things to to like but also many concerns. It does not feel like 6-2 should feel like because our 6 have come against some really bad teams. 

 

Put another way if our schedule had flopped and we played: NE, PHI, MIA to start the year and those games when exactly as they did we are 1-2. The same team that was 3-0. If you add on the NE, DAL and BAL games and assume we lose those falling to now 1-5. Are we really that bad?

 

Point is no reason to pretend the schedule does not influence your record. It does in either direction. The games against good teams are generally a better indicator of how good your team is, how good it will do in the playoffs etc. The Bills could go 11-5 this year and have not beat a single playoff team. That is 11-0 vs non playoff teams. 

I agree that the schedule can affect our win/loss record, but my point is that we had been on the losing end of the schedule maker for so long, lets enjoy having an easier schedule . 

35 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

I am quite tired of defending the bills for beating teams they should be beating win in the past we would’ve found ways to lose to those teams

Yes.  me too.

[All_Pro_Bills]

I remember all the NFL preview forecasting experts before the season that picked the Bills to win 5 or 6 games and that was based on the same schedule.  These same critics are now citing a weak schedule as the reason the team is 6-2.  If it was so weak why didn't they pick them to 10 or 11 games?   Because they expected us to suck and they were dead wrong.